"Not a Championship player anymore" - Derby County, January exit backed | OneFootball

Sonny Bradley joined the Chairboys on loan on Monday evening after a difficult start to the season with the Rams.

This article is part of Football League World's 'Terrace Talk' series, which provides personal opinions from our FLW Fan Pundits regarding the latest breaking news, teams, players, managers, potential signings and more...

Derby County have already started to make moves in the transfer market this winter, and the first senior deal involving the club went through on Monday evening.

Despite a need to bring in new talent at Pride Park, the first decision made by the Rams this January was to send Sonny Bradley out on loan, with the defender joining Matt Bloomfield's Wycombe Wanderers.

The Chairboys have been flying in League One so far this season, and they will be hoping that the 33-year-old can help them in their push for a return to the Championship.

It was a move that few saw coming, but was one that needed to be done with it opening up a space in Derby's 25-player squad list.

Verdict made on Bradley's move to Wycombe

The Rams would have hoped for a more positive start to 2025, and they are still looking for their first win of the year after being beaten by both Bristol City and Sheffield Wednesday in the last week.

Paul Warne will be hoping that incoming stars will be able to help in his side's push away from the relegation zone, with the East Midlands outfit currently just four points above the bottom three.

Nevertheless, the 51-year-old has now played his first hand in the window, and Football League World has asked their Derby Fan Pundit, Shaun Woodward, if he believes moving the defender on was the correct decision.

He told FLW: "It's definitely the right call to send Sonny Bradley out on loan. He's probably the fifth choice centre-back now at the club with Nat Phillips doing so well since he came in. Curtis Nelson and Eiran Cashin are the main two, but with Cashin out at the moment, Phillips has come in and done a great job.

"So, when Cashin is back, Paul Warne's got a real decision to make: whether he drops Phillips or plays a three. But Sonny would be behind all three of those, and potentially even Craig Forsyth, who can slot in at centre-back."

Shaun continued: "You've even got Jake Rooney, who's now back on the bench. So yes, he is now the fourth or even fifth choice centre-back, which, at his age, is no good for him, because when he does come on, he looks rusty, so he needs to go and get minutes.

"He's not a Championship player anymore, sadly, so to me, League One is his level and I wish him all the best at Wycombe, but I think his time at Derby County is up."

Sonny Bradley has likely played his final game for Derby

It was a move that few saw coming, with Bradley starting against Sheffield Wednesday on New Year's Day, however, it was clear in that match that this level is perhaps one too high for his current ability.

He lacked pace in the game and was caught out for the Owls' first goal in the 4-2 defeat, and he was substituted at half-time with the Rams 1-0 down at Hillsborough.

Bradley's contract with Derby is due to expire at the end of the season, and it seems almost a certainty that he will leave the club when his deal does finish, with the move never truly coming to fruition.

He played a key role in the run-in during the 2023/24 campaign and helped Warne's side get over the line in the final weeks, but he will be hoping that this move to Wycombe puts him back in the shop window ahead of the summer.